Page 43 of The Most Unusual Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy

“Carys and Veronica are explorers. They’re looking in crevices and around corners to see how things work or to admire the detail.

Explorers are satisfying because they’re more likely to see all the hard work we put in.

But they can also be a problem, because they sometimes try to go off the path or, in extreme cases, ask questions of the performers. ”

On the next monitor, the group wound through narrow tunnels made to look like caves.

“I love this one,” Jamie murmured just before one of the haunters pressed the button and wet Spanish moss dropped from the ceiling to dangle in their faces.

Helen dropped to her knees, while Poe and Greta clawed at the air around their heads, but the vegetation was pulled up again before they could grab it.

Veronica, looking up to anticipate more vegetation, was the first to notice that the ceiling was sloping down.

The group had to crawl on hands and knees through the dark to escape the room.

“I think Helen and Greta fall in the tagalong category. This isn’t necessarily their vibe, but their friend or date or kid invited them, and they came along for the ride.”

“What’s the fourth category?” Edgar asked.

“The thrill seeker. Those are the people who go to dozens of haunts a year, watch horror movies, and are generally here to test the scare factor. They want to be terrified, but since they go to so many, they rarely are. They’re the ones who come out at the end and are comparing the haunt to the twenty-eight others they’ve already been to and discussing which haunt did which elements better. ”

Veronica was at the front of the pack as they got to the vortex tunnel that would deliver them into the fourth and final act of the haunt.

The tunnel was white, and she shaded her eyes.

A quick glance showed her no way to the doorway before them but to cross an openwork metal bridge.

She stepped onto it, blinking against the brightness.

Suddenly, the tunnel was engulfed in darkness and then transformed to give the illusion that the space they were walking through was spinning 360 degrees.

“Wow,” Edgar said.

It was a truly mind-blowing effect. The second the view changed, Veronica grabbed for the metal handrails. Even though she had seen the bridge before, she couldn’t keep her balance.

Carys, Greta, and Helen followed Veronica across the bridge, each of them walking the exaggerated, heavy staggers of the drunk, all clutching at the handrails to drag themselves forward as if the gravity had shifted as well as their footing.

Poe stepped onto the bridge, paused for a moment, then walked forward as easily as usual.

“What the…? How’d he do that?” Edgar asked.

“He might have closed his eyes. The bridge isn’t really moving, and people who can’t see the projection can walk fine. Spoilsport,” they added.

“I didn’t realize how many elements of the haunt weren’t scary,” Edgar mused.

“Yeah, a lot of it is about maximizing people’s emotional or sensory states. It makes their minds play tricks on them. And the mind is the most potent source of fear.” Jamie tapped the next monitor. “Speaking of, the transition here is cool.”

Through the nucleus of the vortex lay a blank and empty hallway, one that was wider than others, allowing more guests to enter together.

As they staggered out of the vortex tunnel, the group struggled to find their footing on this new, solid ground.

After two or three steps though, they stood tall again.

And just as they thought they were on solid ground, they all stumbled. The floor gave way with no warning, suddenly tipping them off their feet. Then the light began to strobe.

“What?” Edgar leaned forward and peered at the monitor.

“It’s a layer of sand over the floor, covered with layers of thick rubber, so for just a moment , it feels like you suddenly fell through the floor. And then—”

The lights strobed on, that moment of illumination revealing a horrifying figure. Then the lights went off again. When they strobed on again, the figure was closer to the group than before.

“Oh my god, that’s so scary,” Edgar said worshipfully.

Then, strobe and the figure was between Greta and Carys. Then disorienting darkness. Strobe and the figure was gone, leaving their friends grabbing for one another and Poe running for the exit.

Edgar grabbed Jamie and manhandled them around. He looked deep into Jamie’s eyes and spoke with utter conviction. “Thank fucking god you didn’t let me go in there!”

Jamie laughed and wrapped their arms around Edgar, breathing in his scent.

He was here. Even though he could see actual fucking ghosts, he was here, watching a haunted house through a video monitor in order to better appreciate Jamie.

Poe and Greta and Carys and Helen and Veronica—all of them had accepted Edgar’s invitation because they wanted to support Jamie.

Even without Emma and their parents here, they had all the support they needed.

They held each other tightly.

“I’ve got you, babe,” Jamie said.